by Marlene Bumgarner | Apr 25, 2026 | Family, Gardening, Writing
Lions and Lambs As a former Kindergarten teacher I’m familiar with many rhymes and aphorisms about the weather. March this year did not follow the ancient verse that the month would come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. In fact it came in like a lamb and...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Feb 13, 2026 | Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening
Life Gave Me Lemons Once upon a time a friend convinced me to plant a Meyer Lemon bush in my garden. I was more of a mind to fill my indoor space with houseplants, but she was insistent: “Think permanent,” she urged. Think “feed your family.” Think...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 15, 2025 | Community, Family
Christmas Cards – A Dying Tradition? This month I’m reprising an essay I posted in 2019. I’m writing my Christmas cards this week, and this essay tells you why. The Greeting Cards Cometh As I sit in my cozy chair and open my mail this...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 17, 2025 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, England, Family, Travel, Writing
On The Road Again To my family, it must seem that I am on vacation all the time. Since I retired, and especially since I moved to southern California, I have made many road trips and enjoyed a couple of spectacular cruises. Of course my flight north during the LA...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Aug 8, 2025 | Community, Family, Gardening, Health, Nature
The Slough of Despond Following certain actions of the U.S. government around the beginning of July that I will not detail here, having a policy of no politics in my newsletter, I found myself wallowing in negative thoughts and being unable, or unwilling, to...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jul 2, 2025 | Aging, Family, Grandparenting
How Time Flies It seems only yesterday I was on Amtrak riding home from Santa Fe, New Mexico, but suddenly it was Memorial Day, and then June. For their anniversary this year, my son and his wife wanted to spend some grownup time together in Ojai, so their 8 year old...